ALBANY — An insurgent Democrat who could help tip the state Senate’s balance of power once broke a man’s nose in a bar fight.
Witnesses told cops at the time that Albany County legislator, Shawn Morse, then 22 years old, also hurled an obscenity at a bar waitress and falsely claimed he was a cop in the 1989 brawl near Albany.
Morse’s campaign spokesman, Doug Forand, denied that the candidate, a firefighter challenging longtime Sen. Neil Breslin (D-Albany) for the Democratic nod, ever uttered the insult or claimed police-officer status in the 4:30 a.m. incident — for which Morse was convicted of assault.
Morse is backed by the four-member Independent Democratic Conference headed by Sen. Jeff Klein of The Bronx.
Republicans currently have a 33-29 hold on the Senate. But if the Democrats gain control — aided by a Morse win — Klein and the IDC would be in position next year as potential kingmakers.
Forand said the victim of Morse’s assault, Christopher Daus, has contributed to his boss’ county campaigns.
But Daus said he’s supporting Breslin for Senate.